Food preferences of Thai adolescents and their mothers' attitudes and knowledge about foods and nutrition PublicDeposited

Descriptions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between
adolescents' food preferences and their mothers' attitudes and knowledge about foods
and nutrition in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand. Subjects included 30 boys and 35
girls randomly selected from 11th grade classrooms at two high schools in
Phitsanulok, and their mothers. An Attitudes Toward Foods and Nutrition
Ouestionnaire (ATFN) and Knowledge About Foods and Nutrition Questionnaire
(KAFN) were used to assess mothers' attitudes and knowledge about foods and
nutrition, respectively. A Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ) and a 24-Hour
Dietary Recall Interview (DRI) were used to assess adolescents' food preferences and
to determine their dietary nutrient intakes, respectively.
Application of path analytic procedures to the data revealed that while fathers'
and mothers' education, occupation and family income were significantly related
together in complex ways, only mothers' occupation had a direct negative effect on
their attitudes toward "food preparation and caring about nutrition". In addition,
mothers' attitudes toward the "importance of nutrition and meals" had a direct
positive effect on their attitudes toward "food preparation and caring about nutrition".
Furthermore, mothers' "general nutrition knowledge" had a direct positive effect on
their knowledge about "food composition", which in turn had a direct positive effect
on their knowledge about a "well-balanced diet and protein". Finally, while mothers'
attitudes toward "food preparation and caring about nutrition" had a direct positive
effect on their adolescents' food preferences, mothers' "general nutrition knowledge"
had a direct negative effect on their adolescents' food preferences.
With respect to the relationships between adolescents' food preferences and
their nutrient intakes, their preferences for foods in the Meat food group were
significantly and positively related to their calorie, carbohydrate, and total fat intakes.
In addition, adolescents' preferences for foods in the Vegetable and Vegetable
Products food group were significantly and positively related to their total fat intake.
Furthermore, adolescents's preferences for foods in the Fats and Oils food group
were significantly and positively related to their calorie, carbohydrate, protein, and
total fat intakes. Finally, a significant curvilinear relationship was found between
adolescents' preferences for foods in the Cereal and Grain Products food group and
their iron intake.